Many of the standard medical treatments that enhance the quality of our lives—e.g., childhood vaccinations or antibiotics for bacterial infections—were developed with animal-based research. Diseases that were once death sentences such as polio, tuberculosis and small pox—have been or are closer to being eradicated as a result of treatments developed with animal-based research. Additionally, animal research has been critical in developing treatments that today provide hope to patients with serious diseases—such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, AIDS and stroke.

Columbia University's research involving animals has led to many life-saving or life-enhancing medical breakthroughs, including:

"Without the help of animal research we would have little to no understanding of Alzheimer's disease. It is our hope, our toughest goal, that we will find the answers to end the suffering of millions of Americans who face this debilitating disease."

Dr. Eric Kandel
Nobel Prize Winner and Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Cell Biophysics, Psychiatry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University

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"Our experiment (involving mice) was a proof of concept for an entirely new approach to treating heart problems. We plan to continue pushing the envelope and develop new treatments based on these successes."

Dr. Andrew R. Marks
Chair of the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University